Lock.



J. D. MORARITY.

LOCK. APPLICATION FILED JAN.

Patented May 16, 1916.

JwhmomMW JOHN DANIEL MORARITY, OF TOPPENISI-I, WASHINGTON.

LOCK.

Application filed January 16, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. MORARITY, a citizen of the United States of America and of the State of Washington, residing at Toppenish, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to simple and effective means for securely retaining the key in a lock or in the key hole of the escutcheon plate for the lock.

In carrying out my invention I propose to provide the escutcheon plate of the door lock with a spring pressed sliding member that can be readily thrown into contact with the bit or key to prevent the removal of the key but at the same time may be readily actuated to permit of the withdrawal of the key from the key hole opening in the escutcheon plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will effectively sustain a key in a lock or which will prevent its withdrawal through the key hole opening in the escutcheon plate, so that the necessity of constantly removing the key and the liability of the displacement of the said key will be obviated, and further to obviate the necessity of the employment of extra bolts and catches upon a door, the key being always in position so that the door lock will serve the double purpose of both a catch and lock bolt.

With the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing: Figure l is an elevation of a door provided with a mortise lock and illustrating by the dotted lines the position of my improvement upon the escutcheon plate therefor, Fig. 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 show ing the plate engaging the key to sustain the same within the key hole opening in the escutcheon plate, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the slidable plate, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the spring washer which co-acts with the latch plate.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the numeral 1 designates a portion of a door having an ordinary mortise lock 2 inserted in an opening therein, and the sides of" the door are provided with the ordinary es- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 19116.

Serial No. 2,717.

cutcheon plates 3 having key hole openings l which register with the key hole opening in the lock 2. The lock and escutcheon plates may be of any desired formation or size, but the escutcheon plates are centrally embossed or in words have their face por' tions disposed beyond their edges, the said edges being flanged from the plates proper in the ordinary manner. 7

The numeral 5 designates the key catch, the same comprising a flat preferably rectangular plate 6 having a central elongated slot 7, and its upper edge is formed with an outturned flange portion 8 providing a finger grip. The flange 8 is of a size sufficient to be received within the lower wall provided by the key hole opening 4 in the escutcheon plate 3 and rests upon the said wall but projects beyond the plate through the opening.

The numeral 9 designates a metal washer, the same comprising a cup-shaped element and is formed of some suitable spring material. The flanged edges of the cup-shaped washer 9 are slitted radially to provide spring fingers 10 and the said washer is centrally formed with a projecting stud 11 that passes through the slot 7 in the plate 5 and is secured upon the inner face of the escutcheon plate 3. By such an arrangement it will be noted that the spring fingers 10 of the washer 9 contact with the sliding plate 5 to force the said plate 5 against the inner face of the escutcheon plate 3, and by grasping the finger piece 8 the plate may be slid to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings so that the same will contact with the bit of the key 12 and prevent the accidental withdrawal of the said key from the key hole opening 4 in the escutcheon plate 3.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the simplicity of the device, as well as the cutcheon plate, said flat plate having its upper edge centrally provided with a laterally extending reduced member which passes through the key hole opening and elongated opening in the slidable plate and normally rest upon the lower Wall provided secured to the escutcheon plate. 10 thereby, the said plate being provided with In testimony whereof I affix my signature a centrally disposed elongated opening, a in presence of two Witnesses.

A cup-shaped metal Washer having peripheral JOHN DANIEL MORARITY.

slits forming spring fingers bearing against Witnesses: the plate, and a stud centrally connected J. H. IMMEL, With the Washer and passing through the J. W. WARRELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent: Washington, D. 0. 

